The present invention generally relates to disc-shaped recording medium reproducing apparatuses, and more particularly to a disc-shaped recording medium reproducing apparatus capable of placing and leaving a disc-shaped recording medium in a state possible for reproduction within the reproducing apparatus when a case having a lid for accommodating the disc-shaped recording medium therein is inserted into and then pulled out from within the reproducing apparatus, and also capable of preventing the reproducing operation from starting even when a play button is operated in a state where a disc-shaped recording medium is not inserted within the reproducing apparatus.
Conventionally, in an apparatus for reproducing a disc-shaped recording medium (referring to video disc, PCM audio disc, and the like, and hereinafter simply referred to as a disc), there are types of apparatuses in which a disc is reproduced when the disc is loaded upon clamping and placing of the disc within the reproducing apparatus, by inserting into and then pulling out a disc case which has a lid and accommodates a disc therein, from within the reproducing apparatus. In this type of an apparatus, it is impossible to directly confirm whether the disc is loaded within the reproducing apparatus with the first side (side A) or the second side (side B) as the side to be reproduced, since the reproducing apparatus is constructed so that the disc cannot be seen directly from outside the reproducing apparatus. Accordingly, it is highly desirable that a display is made to indicate which side of the disc is inserted as the side to be reproduced.
Therefore, in a reproducing apparatus provided with means for displaying the reproducing side of the disc being loaded as described above, when the display part respective of either one of the above first or the second side is lit up, the operator can see that a disc is loaded within the reproducing apparatus by looking at this reproducing side display part.
Hence, when the reproducing side display part is not lit up although the voltage source is turned ON, this indicates that a disc is loaded within the reproducing apparatus. Accordingly, when the operator confirms that the display part is not lit up by looking at the display part upon starting of the reproduction, it can be seen that a disc is not loaded within the reproducing apparatus.
However, there are times when the operator pushes the play button to erroneously start reproduction although a disc is not loaded within the reproducing apparatus, without confirming the display part and mistakenly thinking that a disc is loaded within the reproducing apparatus. Therefore, the reproducing apparatus is put into a reproducing operation state when an erroneous operation is performed as described above, and the pickup device is moved to the reproduction starting position to lower the reproducing stylus onto the turntable which does not have a disc placed thereon. Since the turntable is being rotated at high speed upon this state, the reproducing transducer including the reproducing stylus becomes damaged.